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Promising 2015 forecast for New Zealand IT

2015 is forecast to follow recent trends for IT workers, with excellent opportunities for contractors as employees compete for talent.

Contractors on the hunt for IT employment in New Zealand should be in for a bumper 2015, if forecasts are correct.

Employment trends indicate that IT professionals are still in demand in New Zealand, despite a slight decrease in recent years.

Predictions for 2015

Data presented on business.govt.nz forecasts a positive year for the IT industry in 2015, with 28.8 per cent of employers looking to hire permanent staff. This is slightly higher than the overall number of employers looking for new workers, which comes in at 28.1 per cent.

The results are especially good for contractors. Predictions display a deficit with regards to IT contractors, with more jobs available than there are people to fill them.

While this is great news for contractors, employers may struggle to fill the gaps in their workforce. The data from business.govt.nz indicates that around a fifth of IT companies will be looking specifically for contractors to fill in-demand roles.

The positions with in the IT sector with the highest demand are: Business analysts, project managers, software developers and IT architects.

Job options

According to Careers NZ, there are a number of professions within the IT industry that offer good opportunities for those seeking work.

Some common jobs are readily accessible to graduates who have been awarded diplomas. Computer support technicians have an average yearly salary of $41-65,000. Combining this with the growing demand for these services makes the role particularly enticing.

Support technicians are responsible for attending to user issues with software and programs, often in the workplace.

Web developers are also in-demand positions that often require candidates to have a relevant diploma. Employees here will need to possess programming and various technical skills in order to construct websites for clients.

The options for IT workers increase even more for those with degrees.

Programmers will design, write and maintain programs, with a wide variety of skills that are needed to get the job done. In-depth knowledge of both hardware and software are required to perform these roles well. This knowledge and skill set is rewarded with annual earnings of $65-90,000.

Taking the time to complete a degree may also land you a dream role, with prospective video game developers also having promising employment opportunities. Workers here can earn the opportunity to work on the hottest games, and shape the future of entertainment.

Prospective contractors are in a prime position to capitalise on the fierce competition between employers. All research points to 2015 being a fantastic year for IT contractors.